


A dream of love and moonflowers

by theboynamedcrow



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dreams vs. Reality, F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Slight Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27141401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theboynamedcrow/pseuds/theboynamedcrow
Summary: In which Jamie does wake up shortly after Dani finds herself with her hands on her wife's throat. Still determined to protect her, Dani tucks her away to a place where they can both say goodbye.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 13
Kudos: 125





	A dream of love and moonflowers

Jamie woke up to the quiet sound of Dani’s labored breathing. You see, the gardener was quite the heavy sleeper –a skill built after months of living on top of a noisy pub, used to getting lulled to sleep by the lament of drunkards and the shattering of glass.

Lately, however, something more deafening and much more threatening than some petty street fights had been keeping Jamie on edge. She could see it in Dani’s gaze, how it would drift far away more often, as if she was trapped in a waking nightmare. Jamie would hold her face each time with the same delicacy she would grant to a wilting flower, trying to save it against the merciless pull of nature. Cracking a joke used to work just fine, even if she could tell Dani’s smiles became weaker every day, only there to placate Jamie’s worries.

Something had changed this time. Dani’s eyes didn’t look lost, but rather terrified. When Jamie propped herself up on her elbows, Dani pulled back, nearly falling off the bed.

“Bloody hell, Poppins. I know my bed hair looks like shit but it shouldn’t be that scary.” Jamie slowly reached for Dani’s wrist, gently pulling her away from the edge. Once she was calmer, she held her hand between both of hers. “What happened?”

Still looking down, Dani shook her head and took a deep breath. “Nothing… Just a bad dream.”

“Is it her again?” The look in Dani’s eyes was enough of an answer. When she tried to look away once more, Jamie placed a hand on her cheek. “Hey,” she whispered. “Hey, it’s okay,” Jamie assured, almost like a mantra. “I can throw a few punches if she’s messing with you, you know. Ghost or not, I don’t care.”

Dani’s soft laughter filled her heart with relief, with some strange kind of nostalgia. She loved her. _God_ , she loved her, and she hated feeling nostalgic for someone who was right in front of her. It felt a lot like giving up. Jamie was a realistic, practical woman; the one going on about how the beauty of things lies in their mortality, but hell, she was human, and as all human beings she had a bit more greed in her than she thought.

She wasn’t ready to let go of Dani. She’d never be, yet she could feel her slipping away, one day at a time.

Dani’s hand on her forehead pulled Jamie out of her thoughts. “Get dressed. I want to show you something.”

“At this hour?” Jamie raised an eyebrow, but was already reaching for her pants. Once she finished buckling her belt, she noticed a ray of sunlight filtering through the blinds. She must have slept longer than she thought.

Jamie followed Dani’s lead and swiftly recognized the route. It was the same path they took every day to their flower shop. Sitting on the counter was a single small potted plant. A moonflower yet to bloom. A thick heaviness settled in her chest, as if she was underwater.

“Remember this?” Dani asked.

Jamie nodded. “I gave it to you. Years ago, before we married.”

“Yeah,” Dani said, “remember how we used to stay up until midnight to watch it bloom? But then we felt asleep when it actually did.”

“I do. You were so disappointed.”

“It was easy, you know. Falling asleep with you there.”

“Yeah?” Jamie smiled and Dani followed. “That’s how I know you’re still in there, Poppins. Still a flirt.”

They shared a kiss, soft and pleading. The heaviness Jamie felt before became overwhelming, and she realized she was crying. They both were. Dani kissed her once more before wiping the tears away with her thumbs. “Look,” she said, staring at the moonflower. When Jamie did, the bud started unwrapping itself, fully spreading its white petals.

“I wanted to watch it with you.”

“They’re not supposed to bloom in the sun, Poppins,” Jamie said. “This is a dream, isn’t it? I’ll get you another one, yeah? We’ll watch it for real.”

Dani didn’t reply. Instead, she held Jamie’s hands firmly, and looked at her like she did before all of it, before Bly manor had planted its seed on her heart. The tears kept coming as Jamie understood the silent answer. This was a goodbye.

“Will you still be there in the morning?”

“I’m sorry,” Dani whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I love you.”

-

Jamie woke up not to sound, but to the absence of it, and the lingering memory of a dream quickly washed away by the unwelcoming brightness of the sun. Only a letter remained where Dani should have been.

**Author's Note:**

> This is sloppy af but boy do I love them so much and my fragile heart is still in pain so I needed to channel it somehow. ;A; Feel free to jump on the feels train with me


End file.
